English Premier League: Liverpool and Manchester City’s bitter rivalry boils over at Anfield
- City manager Pep Guardiola claims home fans threw coins at him during his side’s 1-0 defeat
- Counterpart Jurgen Klopp sent off and Liverpool accuse away fans of ‘vile chants related to football stadium tragedies’
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola said Liverpool fans needed to improve their aim after coins were allegedly thrown at him – and missed – during his team’s 1-0 defeat at Anfield on Sunday.
Liverpool, meanwhile, said City fans must behave better.
“We are deeply disappointed to hear vile chants relating to football stadium tragedies from the away section during today’s game at Anfield,” Liverpool said in a statement after the Premier League game. “The concourse in the away section was also vandalised with graffiti of a similar nature.”
It is not the first time the rivalry between English football’s two dominant teams of recent years has turned bitter.
In 2018, City’s team bus was attacked by Liverpool supporters ahead of a Champions League quarter final at the same stadium. And the wounds clearly run deep for Guardiola, who joined City in 2016.
Sunday’s flash point came after Phil Foden’s second-half goal was ruled out when VAR invited referee Anthony Taylor to review the pitchside monitor, and he spotted a foul on Fabinho in the build-up.
The City manager angrily remonstrated with the crowd, wildly gesticulating before he claims coins were thrown in his direction.
“Next time they will do it better,” he said. “They didn’t get me. They try it again next year.
